Something gone off? See what you’re owed.
Free UK guide to the compensation you can claim when your power, water, gas or broadband fails.
Common questions
How much compensation do I get for a power cut?
If your power is off for more than 12 hours, you're owed £100, then £45 for each further 12 hours. If 5,000 or more homes are affected and you're off for more than 24 hours, it's £100, then £45 for each further 12 hours, up to £400. In a category 1 storm, if you're off for more than 24 hours (or off for more than 48 hours in a category 2 storm), it's £90, then £45 for each further 6 hours, up to £2,235.
Who pays compensation for a power cut?
Your electricity network operator pays it, not your energy supplier. Which operator you have depends on where you live: enter your postcode in the calculator to find yours. Paid automatically within 10 working days.
How much compensation do I get if my water is off?
In England, if your water is off for more than 12 hours, your water company owes you £50, then £50 for each further 12 hours, up to twice your annual water supply charge. Paid automatically within 20 working days. This compensation scheme covers England only. Wales follows a different, older scheme, and Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own standards. Check your water company's website for what you are owed.
How much compensation do I get if my gas is off?
If your gas is off for more than 24 hours, your gas network operator owes you £75, then £75 for each further 24 hours. Paid automatically within 10 working days. £50 more if it's paid late.
Can I get compensation for a broadband outage?
Yes, under Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme. If your broadband or landline is not fixed within 2 full working days of you reporting it, you get £10.34 for each day. A missed engineer visit is £32.31, and a new service that starts late is £6.46 for each day. BT, EE, Hyperoptic, Plusnet, Sky, NOW Broadband, TalkTalk, Utility Warehouse, Virgin Media, Vodafone and Zen Internet pay automatically within 30 days. With other providers you need to claim it.
Do I have to claim compensation?
Usually not: most of these payments are made automatically. You do need to claim for repeated power cuts in one year and planned power cut without proper notice, and from broadband providers outside Ofcom's scheme. If an automatic payment doesn't arrive, contact the company that should pay it.